CVE-2022-26862
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedPrior Dell BIOS versions contain an Input Validation vulnerability. A locally authenticated malicious user could potentially exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious input to an SMI in order to bypass security controls in SMM.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis is an input validation vulnerability in Dell BIOS firmware where a locally authenticated attacker can send malicious input to the System Management Interface (SMI) to bypass security controls in System Management Mode (SMM), potentially achieving elevated privileges.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.5.0< 1.6.0< 1.11.0< 2.16.1< 1.2.1< 1.9.0< 1.9.0< 1.4.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the exact Dell system modelRun 'systeminfo' on Windows or check the system label/marketing name. Confirm the model matches one of: Alienware M15 R5, G15 5515, G5 Se 5505, Inspiron 27 7775, Inspiron 14 5425, Inspiron 3275, Inspiron 3475, Inspiron 3180Affected if The system is any of the eight listed Dell models
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Check the installed BIOS firmware versionOn Windows, run 'wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion' or access the BIOS setup menu and navigate to the About/Information section. On Linux, run 'dmidecode -s bios-version'. Dell systems may also report the version in Dell SupportAssist or Command Update utilitiesAffected if The installed version is below the threshold: Alienware M15 R5 <1.5.0, G15 5515 <1.6.0, G5 Se 5505 <1.11.0, Inspiron 27 7775 <2.16.1, Inspiron 14 5425 <1.2.1, Inspiron 3275 <1.9.0, Inspiron 3475 <1.9.0, Inspiron 3180 <1.4.4
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Verify the System Management Interface is enabledThe vulnerability exploits SMI handlers in System Management Mode. Check whether SMM is active by examining system firmware settings or using tools that report SMM configuration. On Dell systems, this is typically enabled by default for features like BIOS updates, power management, and hardware controlAffected if SMM and SMI functionality are enabled on the system (this is the default state on affected Dell systems)
Your system is affected if it is one of the listed eight Dell models AND its current BIOS firmware version is below the specific version threshold for that model.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.2.11.4.41.5.0
Update Dell BIOS to the latest version provided by Dell for all affected systems. This is typically done via Dell's BIOS update utilities or through enterprise management tools like Dell Command Update or SCCM.
BIOS firmware version 1.5.0 or later for Alienware M15 R5; 1.6.0 or later for G15 5515; 1.11.0 or later for G5 Se 5505; 2.16.1 or later for Inspiron 27 7775; 1.2.1 or later for Inspiron 14 5425; 1.9.0 or later for Inspiron 3275/3475; 1.4.4 or later for Inspiron 3180
- Identify the exact Dell system model number (e.g., Alienware M15 R5, G15 5515, etc.)
- Navigate to Dell's support website (www.dell.com) and enter the system Service Tag or model name
- Locate the BIOS section under Drivers & Downloads
- Download the BIOS update file that matches or exceeds the fixed version (Alienware M15 R5: >=1.5.0, G15 5515: >=1.6.0, G5 Se 5505: >=1.11.0, Inspiron 27 7775: >=2.16.1, Inspiron 14 5425: >=1.2.1, Inspiron 3275: >=1.9.0, Inspiron 3475: >=1.9.0, Inspiron 3180: >=1.4.4)
- Run the BIOS update executable or use Dell Update utility while the system is plugged into AC power
- Allow the BIOS update to complete fully - do not interrupt or power off the system during the flashing process
- Verify the BIOS version has been updated successfully after reboot
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26862 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-26862 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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